又中又英 | Shooting fish in a barrel | 褚簡寧
A Hong Kong friend recently read one of my columns in this newspaper and said it must be easy for a veteran journalist like me to write such columns. He said it would be like shooting fish in a barrel for me to write columns. I explained to him that writing columns is far from like shooting fish in a barrel for journalists. Columnists know thinking of column ideas is not as easy as pie as some people believe. If something is like shooting fish in a barrel, it means it is very easy to do.
Fishing requires skill and patience. I tried it in the US many years ago and often ended up not catching any fish. But it is easy to catch or shoot a fish in a barrel. A barrel is a large container made of wood. If something is as easy as pie, it means it's very easy to do. I spend a lot of my time daily reading newspapers and watching YouTube political commentators to get ideas for my columns. I then do research to make sure everything I write is factually correct.
During my time as a TV host, I had to bust my guts every week finding the right guest with the knowledge to discuss a particular topic that was newsworthy that week. To bust your guts means putting a lot of effort into doing something. People who choose journalism as a career know the pay is lousy, but they choose it anyway for personal satisfaction. They don't mind that it is not like shooting fish in a barrel.
＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊
一位香港朋友最近讀到我在這份報章的其中一篇專欄文章，說像我這樣的資深傳媒人，要寫這樣的專欄一定很容易了。他說，寫專欄於我就像甕中捉鱉（shooting fish in a barrel）。我跟他解釋說，對新聞工作者來說，寫專欄遠遠不像甕中捉鱉（shooting fish in a barrel）。專欄作家們都知道，要想出專欄的點子，不像有些人以為的小菜一碟（as easy as pie）。若某事像 shooting fish in a barrel，意即它易如反掌。
釣魚需要技巧與耐性。我許多年前在美國曾試過釣魚，常常一條魚也釣不到。但要捉或射中困在桶裏的魚，卻是輕而易舉（shoot a fish in a barrel）。A barrel就是以木材製成的大桶。若某事是 as easy as pie，意即它是極之容易，不費吹灰之力。我每天都花許多時間閱讀報紙，觀看YouTube上各個政治評論員，以取得寫專欄的靈感。我接着還要考查，確保我所寫的一切都符合事實，真確無誤。
我還是電視節目主持人的時期，每星期得拼了命的（bust my guts）找合適的嘉賓上節目，對方得對該星期有新聞價值的特定議題有所認知。To bust your guts意即投放許多努力、竭盡全力的去做某事。人們選擇以新聞業為職志，都知道薪酬很糟，卻仍是為了個人滿足感而入行。他們不會介意那並不像甕中捉鱉般輕易（like shooting fish in a barrel）。
[email protected]
Michael Chugani褚簡寧
中譯：七刻
